


The Old Playground

by AllHaleOlicity



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Next Generation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 17:00:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29475111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllHaleOlicity/pseuds/AllHaleOlicity
Summary: Late night gang #4Eliza & Thomas share stories
Kudos: 1





	The Old Playground

The old playground was one of the most sacred places that the kids had access to.

It didn't look like much, especially when looked at from back when you could see the silhouette of the mansion in front of it.

But to the kids, it was a place for story telling, playing, and making up a life for themselves in the world of pretend.

In between games of Queen in the Castle(their version of House), Villains and Vigilantes(their version of cops&robbers), and just racing through the obstacles as if they were on American Ninja Warrior(because some things need to be normal), they would just hang out at the clubhouse.

The clubhouse was at the very top of the playground. It looked over the obstacles, the small play houses at the bottom, the sandbox, the swings, slides, and monkey bars.

The clubhouse was the most ideal place to bring friends....if they could handle the height of it that is.

Ada and JJ would sneak up here during middle school and discuss their future together. Ada was afraid of the height of the clubhouse until she was 14, but even then she asked William to join them, just in case. She knew he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her.

Eliza and Jason would climb to the top, and go further. They've been told countless times to not get on the roof of the clubhouse because it's so high up and slanted. If they were to fall, they would definitely be goners. Oliver also didn't like that they were so far away and alone...but that was mostly just him.

The other kids did whatever it is they did in the clubhouse. Eliza only knew about Ada because her dear sister cannot keep a secret. She's also a terrible liar despite having taken acting classes since she was 4.

The playground was the for the littles, one day they would get the clubhouse, but right now the playground was theirs, small houses on the ground included.

The older kids still sneak up to the clubhouse during big family events. It's hard to get a minute of privacy on the ground during crisis events, so they retreat to the clubhouse.

Sometimes it's as a big group, other times it's just a few people, and then there was Eliza.

She didn't come up here much anymore. She didn't come home often either, but she definitely didn't come up here.

She doesn't like the memories attached to it. Laughing, smiling, planning the future. Good memories, but after losing the company, you start to relate those memories with sadness.

She didn't want the clubhouse to be ruined for her. But she couldn't help it.

Now, it was just a place for her to escape. No one would look for her here. She could be alone in her thoughts and no one would know where she was.

Or so she thought.

As she sat on the roof of the clubhouse, looking at how the lights from the mansion brighten up the entire backyard, she pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from her pocket. She took out one cigarette and placed the pack on one of the ridges in the roof. The lighter was placed right next to it when she was done with it.

The noise of the mansion was muffled from up here. This was one thing Eliza liked most. She liked barely being able to make out the shadows of people inside. She liked the quiet noise. She liked that the mansion lit up the playground but not the clubhouse.

Her phone lit up on the ridge next to the box and the lighter, catching her attention. She looked over at it, sticking the lit cigarette in her mouth so she could pick it up and read what the notification was.

It was just a grocery list from Quinn. Her dad must be serving food. Quinn can never come over for dinner without wanting to buy a new kitchen, pans and food included. She's the daughter that can cook that Oliver Queen never got....

Well, Miriam can cook. She likes to bake more. But she does know how to cook.

She sighed, putting her phone down and taking the cigarette out of her mouth. A puff of smoke following a few seconds later.

And then there was a noise. A different one. One that sounded like she wasn't alone anymore.

She quickly blew out air towards the smoke, trying to get it to fade away quicker. The last thing she needed was a lecture right now.

Just before she could crush the cigarette against the roof of the clubhouse, there was a shadow above her.

She was afraid to turn to see who it was, so she froze in place. The shadow, hesitated, but sat down next to her on the roof.

A hand came into view for her, and she slowly handed the cigarette over as she turned to see who she was sitting with.

By the time she had turned, the cigarette was already in TJ's mouth.

"What are you-"

"You shouldn't smoke." He interrupted, laying back on the roof, holding himself up with his forearms, cigarette still in mouth.

"How did you find me?" She asked, looking back at him.

He shrugged. "Oliver told me where you were."

"How did he know where I was?"

Thomas looked at Eliza, then back at the silhouette of the mansion. "You think your mom hasn't put cameras everywhere around this place?"

She groaned, laying back with Thomas on the roof. "Of course."

He looked over at her, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and handing it back to her. "What are you doing up here?"

She shrugged, putting the cigarette in her mouth.

"I know your mom's name is Smoak, but you really shouldn't."

She glared at him.

"Don't give me that look, I'm already damaged. I'm allowed."

She sighed, taking the cigarette out again.

"You talk a lot." He joked, sitting up to look back at her.

"You never shut up, do you?" She finally said, cigarette going back in her mouth.

Thomas stopped it before it could, putting it in his own mouth. "I've been here for months, we've hardly said two words to each other."

"Okay, what do you want to know?" She sat up. "I'm the oldest full blooded Smoak Queen, or I was. Family disappointment but they don't know it. I've brought home more guys than I can count but I've only ever had 3 boyfriends-"

"Alright, you don't just turn out like this. What's your story?"

"I'm sure you already heard it." She shook her head. "My family loves spilling secrets."

"I want to hear it from you." Thomas took the cigarette and handed it back to Eliza.

She hesitated, but took it back. "My boyfriend died." She spit it out, knowing that if she hesitated her words, she would never get anymore.

"And now you're a family disappointment?"

"It's a long story."

"So? Tell me. I have time."

His voice sounded sincere. He wasn't forcing her into talking, he wasn't judging her after finding her on a roof of a kid's playhouse with a cigarette, maybe she could tell him _some_ of the story.

So she did.

She told him about how Jason was her first boyfriend. She told him that her dad hated that Jason was her first boyfriend.

She told him how they used to run away up here, talking about actually running away. Eliza always wanted out, even before he died.

She was there when he died. It was her fault. She told him to skip the vigilante business. She wanted to walk the city and she wanted to do it with him.

She left Star City not long after that. She wanted to get away. Now was the perfect time.

She didn't go through a grieving process. She had a day. She gave herself a day. After that, she forced herself to move on. She numbed her feelings however she could.

Drinks, drugs, parties, strange people.

Ada, Liv, and Quinn were the only ones who really know what was going on, well them and their boyfriends.

They thought she needed help, she did, but they didn't want to stage an intervention without giving her a chance to settle down.

After a year or so, they set her up with this annoying, hyperactive, time traveling idiot.

And she calmed down.

He didn't save her. He had his own issues to worry about. But he kept her busy. He kept her away from the parties because they'd go to get food instead. Without the parties, there were no longer strange people or drugs.

For awhile, during withdrawals, he sat by her side and told everyone who asked that she was just sick. It was the flu. She'd be fine. And she was.

They got over the drinking thing together.

And despite all of that....she hasn't brought him to the clubhouse.

It was a safe place. It was where you bring people you care about. And she didn't want to jinx anything.

Eliza went silent, clearly now thinking about everything she had said. Reliving it in her head.

Thomas took the silence as an opportunity to speak.

"My mom died after my sister was born."

She looked over at him, she felt her mouth open, wanting to ask about the sister part of the sentence. Something in her told her that she probably wouldn’t have to ask.

"It was just the three of us then. My dad never remarried. He worked a lot so I took care of Clara." He continued. "I'd have done anything for her." He looked out at the Queen mansion.

"She looked like Miriam."

Eliza felt a deeper sadness than she had felt before. She lost Jason. She couldn't ever imagine losing her sisters. She loved them more than anything in the world.

Thomas reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He flipped it open and pulled out a small picture, handing it to Eliza.

Despite the darkness, Eliza could see the resemblance between Clara and Miriam.

"That's the boat that she's on." He spoke again, this time his voice sounded more wounded.

"The boat?"

"I saw her get on....I never saw her get off."

Thomas had a history that was a lot like her dad's. Except, he got on a boat with his girlfriend, sister, and dad.

"TJ, I...” Eliza started, but she didn’t really know what she could say. “Why are you telling me this?”

“We’re not that different.” He told her, she raised an eyebrow at him.

“I would give anything to have her back...but...” Thomas looked over at Eliza. “If I hadn’t left, if I gave up on everything and everyone else when I lost Clara, or when I lost Jade, I wouldn’t be here.”

“I still don’t understand.”

“I lost my sister...There’s nothing I can do about that. I can’t go back and save her.” He looked at the mansion, then at Eliza again. “But I _can_ be here with you. I can help Miriam prepare a bribe lunch. I can help Owen bring his equipment from the basement to the garage.”

“Thomas-”

“I lost my sister.” He repeated. “But I gained so much more by accepting it and moving on.”

They both sat there in silence for a moment. Thomas placed his hand on Eliza’s shoulder.

“Everyone does things at their own pace....but when you’re ready...” He looked back at the mansion. “There’s this annoying, time traveling, idiot waiting for you on the porch.” He gave her a small smile before standing up and jumping from the roof of the clubhouse to the actual flooring of it, and then proceeding to climb down the play set.

Eliza watched as he dropped to the ground and walked back to the porch of the mansion. She quickly picked up her phone and sent him a text.

> If you see him, tell him I’m at the clubhouse.

She saw Thomas pause before reaching the porch, something lighting up in his hand, then going dark again as he waved to someone she couldn’t see.

Her phone buzzed a few seconds later.

> _Ronnie:_

> why the hell are you on a roof?

She smiled, sending back a shrugging emoji before putting her phone down again.

Maybe it was time to move on.


End file.
